Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-12-31
HOW I ESCAPED HER.
BY SOL sTICE.

sentful only for him ] should never
have kissed her, and in that event
you would not now be reading this
narrative.
In the outset let me tell you that
my father was stern and self-wiled
man who liked to have everything
regulated exactly according to his
dictum. He was also an amateur
agriculturist. You know what that
implies. OF all enthusiasts they are
certainly the most indefatigably I'M
renting. Why, he was so devoted
to the tilling of the soil that he want
ed to keep me at it all the time.
Happily for me our family abode
was in the city, so that " the Gov
ernor," as | familiarity called him
(When he was ABSENT when seated in
his cosy library forecasting the future
of farming or inventing new styles of
pumpkins, couldn't positively deter.
mine whether | was pruning pears at
the farm, three miles away, or draw
ing three of kind at the Caste Club,
around in the next block. There was
no way for him to ascertain unless |
told him. That Istudiously avoided.
you may depend. Why, / acquired
sufficient skill in giving evasive and
Elusive answers to his questions to
have qualified me for the presidency
of some big railway company.
Anotherpet project "the Governor"
had.
Whenever we were not dissecting
and discussing the manifold aspects
the probabilities Of the Signal Ser
vice and the possibilities of what
Sully calls 1.-THE two beasts of the
State" he was generally engaged in
descanting upon the admirable at
tainments and attractions of Ger.
tain young cousin of his-three de-
grees removed. Three removals are
said to be equal to fire. So / was
not greatly surprised to learn that
she was red-headed. My stern par
ent had about concluded that | should
marry her. Date and details only
remained to be arranged. AS yet,
however, had not the honor of her
acquaintace. And to this day, al
though circumstances are somewhat
altered, cannot recall that I felt
any particularly alert yearning to
know her. Just as sure as nv at
tention became in anywise diverted
from the subject Of our customary
conversation sufficiently to indicate
that my interest in applied agricul-
ture was not as active as it should be,
" the Governor would quietly put
away his papers and prize parsnips
and come at me, so to speak, with
his red-headed relative. Do you
wonder that / avoided his sage soci-
ETY. as much as possible?
Finally he decided that Miss Bruce
the name of the lady he had chosen
for my wife-should pay my sister a
visit at Christmas. Not unnaturally
l determined to wholly ignore her
presence as far as ordinary civility
permitted. Nor is it strange that |
grew to regard the approach of Christ
mas as an impending calamity.
How / longed for an invitation to
spend the holidays with some &C.
quaintance about 1900 miles away.
Watching and waiting availed moth
ing. Not an out-of-town invitation
came.
After writing,as last resort, to Tom
Yates, whom had cordially dislik.
ed at college, long letter suggestive
Of tendency to visit somebody, SIM
ply because he lived away across the
continent, took run up into the
adjoining county to see a pretty coun-
try girl that knew.
Now it seems strangely incongru-
Gus, but with all his absorbing par
TALLY for pastoral pursuits my aus
tere parent never liked to see me in
pursuit of the pastoral damsel. So
he had very definitely indicated his
disproval of that rural Miss some
time before, although he could as
sign no specific objection either to
the lady or her family.
Nevertheless, went. And / en-
ioyed my visit so much that re.
manned ten days.
When got on the train to return
home the first man / ran against in
the car, to my infinite disgust, was
Tom Yates. So that last hope of cs-
cape was shattered. AS refuge |
could have tolerated him for short
time, but as a companion not at all.
Evidently he had not got my letter.
So | said nothing With on ,,roropt